We Love Target Style Challenge: Shoes

For the week-long “We ♥ Target” style challenge hosted by Whitney @ Along the Lines of Style and Heidi @ Literate and Stylish, today’s theme is shoes. Although I was this close to highlighting my strappy black wedges (seen here), I chose instead to highlight my most recent Target purchase of striped canvas flats. In the two months I’ve had these shoes, I’ve already featured them five times on the blog (including earlier this week, ha!), and I’ve worn them a few times more than that, almost every weekend inbetween.

This time, I wanted to make these striped shoes more work-appropriate. And really, this turned out to be like a work version of my casual look earlier this week featuring these shoes! Funny how I didn’t register that until looking at the pics. Plus, for my final library instruction class of the term (woo-hoo!), my choice of footwear paid off. These flats are really comfortable — perfect for teaching — and they also looked more professional when paired with my wide-leg grey trousers.

Pattern-mixing stripes! This did not go unnoticed by co-workers.

The choice of striped shoes (and cardigan) was also good timing, as this week’s color challenge for my faculty union was to wear red. Fitting, then, that these pics were taken in the main courtyard of my college, right across from our library.

Details:  Striped shoes:  Target, this spring  /  Grey trousers:  Gap, old  /  Red cardigan:  Target, last summer  /  Striped tank top:  Gap, gift-carded last summer  /  Circle necklace:  Lori’s Shoes, Chicago, old  /  Circle drop earrings:  Lia Sophia, gift from husband, old

And finally, below is an inspiration board of the other ways I’ve worn these fun & comfortable striped shoes.

Look 1  |  Look 2  |  Look 3  |  Look 4  | Look 5

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Link ups:  We Love Target Style Challenge  /  Look What I Got 

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• For the Love of Shoes: Part One (lapetitemodeblog.wordpress.com)
• The Only 5 Shoes You Need This Spring: The Glamourai (stylecaster.com)
• Target Teams With Sam and Libby (pretamarque.com)
• Oh, how far we’ve come… (healthyfootnotes.com)

We Love Target Style Challenge: Bottoms

Continuing my participation in the ”We ♥ Target” style challenge hosted by Whitney @ Along the Lines of Style and Heidi @ Literate and Stylish, today’s theme is bottoms. While my choice — skinny jeans — may seem a little predictable, buying my first pair of skinny jeans at Target last winter felt like a major breakthrough in my personal style journey.

Why? Being a classic pear shape — that means having bigger hips and a smaller chest, y’all — I would look at these magazine editorials like “Anyone can wear skinny jeans!” and roll my eyes. It wasn’t until I started following style blogs and witnessing how ladies of all shapes and sizes — not just models in magazines — were looking great in skinny jeans that I thought about taking the plunge myself. And thank goodness for Target, who has a fit system for jeans that is figure-friendly and not intimidating. (By the way, I am a Fit 4, a mid-rise for curvy bottoms.)

I now have two pairs of skinny jeans, my first being a dark denim, and my second pair in black. I haven’t taken the plunge yet into colored denim, but my comfort level with skinny jeans has also impacted my regular pants collection. I now have a growing collection of close-fitting ankle pants (my tan pair seen here, my red pair seen here, and my teal pair seen here), and more importantly, I am more comfortable than ever before with my own body shape.

And today’s photos tell the story of this vacant lot around our neighborhood. We love how it feels like this vacant space is taking a rest, and how nature is once again having its say. And how cool do these steps look in the side of this hill?!

The dramatic slope of the lot then leads into this shed that has been almost completely taken over by vegetation. And I love how the rose bush perched on top is spilling its petals over the slope. So picturesque.

And below is the other side of that same shed. And this is only two blocks north of a major through-street in NE Portland!

Details:  Skinny jeans:  Target, last winter  /  Red cotton jacket:  Macy’s, on sale and gift-carded this winter  /  Blue striped t-shirt:  Fall fashion swap  /  Striped canvas flats:  Target, on sale this spring

And in the middle of this rather overwhelming landscape of overgrown greens is a beautiful flowering rose bush — the same kind of delicate pink roses up on the vacant lot. And looking at this picture, I am reminded of how long my hair has grown these past two years!

The cost per wear of these denim skinnies must be in the fractions of pennies by now. I’ve worn them at least once a week since first buying them (and I wash them, inside out, after 3-4 wears, and air dry to maintain the color and shape as much as possible).

Below are a few of the ways I’ve worn these skinny jeans, as well as a bonus inspiration board featuring my black skinnies.

Look 1  |  Look 2  |  Look 3  |  Look 4  | Look 5

Look 1  |  Look 2  |  Look 3  |  Look 4  | Look 5

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Link ups:  We Love Target Style Challenge  /  Style Sessions  /  Real Girl Style  /  Anything + Everything Blog Hop

Related articles:

• Jean Guide to Bootylicious (fashionscopesblog.wordpress.com)
• How to Wear Skinny Jeans (myfashioncents.com)

Two takes with one striped tank

Today’s post incorporates two different looks with the same striped tank (alert — lots of pics ahead!). Instead of a day-to-night, it’s a weekend-to-work kind of post.

And if you’re asking yourself, “Wait, hasn’t Jennifer worn this top once this week already?” The answer would be yes AND no. I  wore this new striped tank for the first time last week, but the post didn’t get published until Monday of this week.

Casual weekend wear (Look 1):

I wore this outfit this past weekend while running errands. The top’s untucked, so you get to see the dark navy stripes at the bottom. The denim jacket and cropped khaki ankle pants  add to the “casual” vibe, and switching out the flats for sandals during the summer would definitely amp that up. It’s still a bit chilly up here for spring, hence the flats.

Details:  Striped top:  Old Navy (on clearance and gift-carded two weeks ago)  /  Denim jacket:  Kohl’s, old  /  Khaki ankle pants:  Macy’s, gift-carded this winter  /  Flats:  DKNY via Macy’s, Fall 2011  /   Pearl drop earrings:  Bridesmaid’s gift, old

Work wear (Look 2):

For work on Wednesday, it was our day to wear the color blue to support our faculty union, so I turned again to this striped top for its many different shades of blue. What made this combo more work-appropriate was the swapping out the khaki ankle pants for wide-leg trousers, and the denim jacket for a cardigan.

And pattern-mixing stripes!!! I think it works here because the navy background of the cropped cardigan echoes the dark stripes on the bottom of the tank. It looks more proportional and purposeful in a surprising way. Or at least, it surprised me how well it all went together.

Details:  Grey trousers:  Gap, old  /  Striped cardigan:  Old Navy, gift-carded this winter  /  Bar drop earrings:  Kohl’s, old

And there’s no need to scroll up again, as I’ve put together a side-by-side comparison from weekend-to-work:

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Happy Friday!

Link ups:  Friday’s Five  /  Casual Fridays  /  Fashion Informant Linkup  /  Friday Favorites Remix  /  Sunday Style

Related articles:

• Colorblocking stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Simple in stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Blue stripes + florals (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• #OOTD: Sunshine On A Cloudy Day (thefancypantsreport.com)
• How to Wear a Breton Stripe (styleunearthed.wordpress.com)
• United in stripes (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)

Colorblocking stripes

Happy Wednesday! I  wore this outfit this past Monday, the most recent day of sunshine before we were plunged back into a cycle of rainy weather. The combo of blue, white, and green felt fresh for spring, inspired in part by this look.

And based on several recent positive comments about headbands and headscarves (thank you!), I added this striped headscarf at the last minute. And I’m so glad I did!

Details:  Colorblocked cardigan:  Target, last spring  /  Striped tank top:  Gap, gift-carded last summer  /  Tan trousers:  The Limited, Fall 2011  /  Denim wedges:  Payless, last summer  /  Striped scarf:  Thrifted in Texas, old  /  Drop earrings:  Lia Sophia, gift, old

Link ups:  WIWW  /  Wardrobe Wednesday  /  Whatever Works Wednesday  /  Dress for the Day  /  I Feel Pretty Linkup  /  Trending Pretty Wednesday

Related articles

• Blue stripes + florals (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Springtime pattern-mixing (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Floral Headband / D.I.Y. Project (abeautifulmess.typepad.com)
• Refashion Inspiration: Colorblocking (christinadesignsart.wordpress.com)

SIA: Fish out of water

Woo-hoo, it’s SIA time again! This week’s inspiration is a stunning watercolor illustration by 3-time Caldecott Award winner David Wiesner.

Inspiration:

Flotsam illustration – David Wiesner – Watercolor on paper, 2007

Interpretation:

And I was inspired right away! Usually, I have to sit with the inspiration art for awhile — as I like to do when visiting museums, as well, just sit with the paintings and soak up the vibes — but this one spoke to me immediately. I think the Wiesner’s stunning colors helped speed up the inspiration.

My coral salmon-colored pleated skirt was a no-brainer, and I paired it with a new striped top I scored at Old Navy with a gift-card last week. (And the top was on clearance, woo-hoo!)

Details:  Pleated skirt:  Florence Adams c/o giveaway  /  Striped tank:  Old Navy, gift-carded last week  /  Denim jacket:  Kohl’s, old  /  Flats:  Payless, new and on sale  /  Trench:  Marks & Spencer, Abu Dhabi, 2008  /  Pearl cluster earrings:  Old Navy, gift-carded in winter

I also added in extra details to play off the inspiration fish in the illustration. I went to my go-to rope braid hairstyle as it reminded me of gills, and my pearl cluster earrings represent fish eggs for this inspiration look. Tee hee!

And could I resist twirling in my pleated skirt? OF COURSE NOT!

Link ups:  SIA  /   YOLO Mondays  /  Monday Mingle  /  My Style Monday  /  Sunday Style  /  Watch What I’m Wearing

Related articles

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• Navy + coral pleats (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)